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Donnerstag, 23. August 2018

I wanted to knit a pair of socks with some sock yarn (slightly variegated) that I had bought a few years ago. My pattern "requirements" were simply that I wanted an easy pattern, but not too boring. So I decided on a pattern of mini cables - C2B cables to be precise.
When I had knitted a few of the pattern repeats I noticed that the cabling was barely visible :/ Nevertheless, I finished because ... well ... I wanted a sock that fitted me and I didn't mind too much about the pattern. But I learned (again) that it is quite important to choose a yarn that fits the stitch pattern you're using. The yarn that I used was a bit too wild in color (and probably too dark), so that the stitch pattern didn't really show.
But anyway, I've got a new pair of socks - knitted toe up with an afterthought heel.
Below (in section "Stitch Pattern) you find a photo of the same pattern knitted in yarn with a solid color.

This is NOT a complete knitting pattern, but just a sketch or rather a stitch pattern (over 8 stitches and 12 rows) that can be used for socks. It only works for socks with a number of stitches that is a multiple of 8.
For socks there are many general instructions and tutorials around, I have linked to some in the Techniques section of this post.

Cutting a sock template of your feet: To make the finished piece fit your feet, it is useful to measure your feet and to cut out a card template. Here's a blogpost at knitbettersocks.blogspot.com that explains the idea. For the heel as knitted here, make a mark at 5 cm from the end of the heel.If you want to knit a pair for someone else and cannot get a template, here are standard shoe size templates.

Round 1: Knit all - while placing stitch markers after 10 sts and at the end of the round - alternatively divide the stitches on your needles in such a way that you know exacly where one half of your stitches are.

Donnerstag, 9. August 2018

I seem to have lost my knitting mojo ... somehow all ideas for bigger items (such as scarfs) don't work the way I'd like. Plus, it's quite hot over here - too hot for holding a bigger project. So I decided to knit small geometric shapes from cotton yarn.
I started with an oblong rectangle ... and here's a free knitting pattern for an equilateral triangle - constructed with short rows and all in garter stitch.
The finished pieces can be used as coasters, doily or potholders.
As to the name, "Dreieck" is the German word for triangle.

Picking up and knit stitches from the side: Insert the needle into the front leg of the edge stitch from back to front and draw your working yarn through. In case of this pattern you only need to pick up one stitch at a time.

Grafting in Garter Stitch: A technique to get an invisible (knitted) seam - this technique is shown in this YouTube Video by knittinghelp.com.

Construction

When knitting this piece you start with a provisional CO. During the first part, the rows are getting shorter (1 stitch every 2nd rigde) - and getting longer again during part 2 (also by 1 stitch every 2nd row). This is repeated three times - and then the piece is finished by grafting in garter stitch.

Size
The pattern is written in a way that it can be adapted to different sizes. The length of your cast on is about one forth of the height of the triagle.

For the smaller one, I did a CO of 10 sts - its height is about 13 cm, each side measures about 16 cm.
For the bigger one, I CO 13 sts, its height measures a bit more than 16 cm and each side 19 cm.

Instructions

Do a provisional CO of the calculated number of stitches (e.g. 10 sts) and knit the first row.

Part 1
Ridge 1: k up to last st, w+t, k to end
Ridge 2: k up to last wrapped st, turn (without wrapping), sl1, k to end
Ridge 3: k up to 1 st before the last wrapped stitch, w+t, k to end
Repeat ridges 2 and 3 until the last knitted row consists of 1 st and the w+t.

Part 2
Ridge 1: k1, w+t, k1
Ridge 2: k up to and including first wrap, pick up one st from the side, turn (without wrapping), ssk, k to end
Ridge 3: k up to and including ssk from last row, w+t, k to end
Repeat ridges 2 and 3 until you've wrapped the last st of the row.

Inbetween Ridge: k to end, turn, sl1, k to end

Part 3 = Part 1Part 4 = Part 2

Inbetween Ridge: k to end, turn, sl1, k to end

Part 5 = Part 1Part 6 = Part 2

Finishing
Put the stitches from the provisional CO on the second needle - cut your yarn, but leave a tail long enough for grafting.
Graft in garter stitch.
If there is a small hole in the middle of the piece, use the end to sew it closed.
Weave in ends.

Freitag, 3. August 2018

Currently, it's really hot in my part of the world ... so hot, in fact, that I really don't feel like knitting, especially not something like scarfs, cowls, fingerless gloves or other things that I usually like.
One of the few yarns that can be knitted comfortably in high summer is cotton ... and a project that is sufficently "summery" is a doily or coaster. For this one, I tried to do a bit of shaping to get rectangle. This was actually a test knit for a bath rug I wanted to make out of t-shirt yarn, but I didn't like the shaping for that purpose. However, the piece can be used as a doily, a placemat, a washcloth or a potholder.

Picking up and knit stitches from the side: Insert the needle into the front leg of the edge stitch from back to front and draw your working yarn through. In case of this pattern you only need to pick up one stitch at a time.

Grafting in Garter Stitch: A technique to get an invisible (knitted) seam - this technique is shown in this YouTube Video by knittinghelp.com.

Construction
When knitting this piece you start with a provisional CO. During the first part, the rows are getting shorter (one stitch every two ridges). In part 2, the ridges are getting longer again (two stitches for every ridge). Parts 3 and 4 are parts 2 and 1 backwards. You have then knitted a square and turned your knitting by 180°.
Parts 5 to 8, are a repeat of parts 1 to 4.
After knitting around four corners and the two sides (CO and last row) are grafted in garter stitch.

The pattern is written in a way, that you can adapt it to the size you want. To calculate the final size, multiply the width of the sts you cast on by 2 for the height and by 4 for the width.

Instructions

Provisionally CO the calculated number of sts with scrap yarn and knit the first row with your working yarn. I did 22 sts for the grey piece and 18 sts for the purple one.

Part 1
Ridge 1: sl1, k up to last st, w+t, k to end
Ridge 2: sl1, k up to last wrap, turn (without wrapping), sl1, k to end
Ridge 3: sl1, k to 1 sts before last wrap, w+t, k to end
Repeat ridge 2 and 3 until your last row was only 1 st long.

Part 2
Ridge 1: sl1, w+t, k to end
Ridge 2: sl1, k1, pick up 1 st (from a slipped stitch), w+t, k to end
Ridge 3: sl1, k up to last wrapped stitch, k1, pick up 1 st, w+t, k to end
Repeat ridge 3 until all stitch on your needle are used.
You should by then have knitted as many ridges in part 2 as the number of stitches that you cast on in the beginning of part 1 - and your stitch count should be twice the number of your CO.

Part 3
Ridge 1: sl1, k to end, turn, sl1, k to end
Ridge 2: sl1, k up to last st, w+t, k to end
Ridge 3: sl1, k to 2 bef last wrap, w+t, k to end
Repeat ridge 3 until the last row is only 1 or 2 sts long

Part 4
Ridge 1: sl1, w+t, k1
Ridge 2: sl1, k2tog, turn, sl1, k to end
Ridge 3: sl1, k up to and including k2tog of last ridge, w+t, k to end
Ridge 4: sl1, k up to last wrap, k2tog, turn, k to end
Repeat ridges 3 and 4 until all sts on your needle are used.

Inbetween Ridge: sl1, k to end, turn, sl1 k to end

Part 5
= Part 1

Part 6
= Part 2

Part 7
= Part 3

Part 8
= Part 4

Finishing:
Put the stitches from the provisional CO on the second needle - cut your yarn, but leave a tail long enough for grafting.
Graft in garter stitch.
If there is a small hole in the middle of the piece, use the end to sew it closed.
Weave in ends

It's more comfortable to rest my arms on a piece of knitted cotton than right on my desk - especially in hot weather